A historic flag that dates back to the Civil War has been returned to the Delaware Historical Society. The flag was sent out of state earlier this year for conservation work.
A crowd funded campaign - called “Rally Round the Flags,” along with traditional fundraising helped successfully raise thirty thousand dollars needed for repairs.
The flag saw several Civil War battles, including Antietam and Gettysburg, says Constance Cooper, Chief Curator at the Delaware Historical Society.
"When you look at it and see the tears and tatters, and pieces missing and all," she says. "This flag provides a direct connection to the Civil War and to all the men who fought in the war."
She says that pre-conservation, the flag showed the wear and tear of 150 years of age.
"The flag was conserved, it was not restored. So all the tears and parts that are missing are still missing."
That process of conservation, involved humidifying the flag and working to preserve its oil painting on silk fabric.
The flag will be among the highlights in the permanent exhibition on Delaware history that will go up when Delaware History Museum reopens in early 2016.
This will be the first opportunity for the flag to be publicly displayed in many years, possibly since its donation to the Delaware Historical Society in 1884 - according to the organization.